The present invention relates to gas turbine engines, and more specifically to seals for use in turbine sections of gas turbine engines.
Carbon seal assemblies are used in gas turbine engines along rotating shafts to maintain lubricating fluids within bearing compartments and to seal compartments against hot air intrusion or cooling air leakage. Some carbon seal assemblies include spring-loaded carriers to hold and push carbon seals against sealing surfaces. In some engines, the carbon seal assembly is bolted to a forward end of the bearing compartment before the bearing compartment is assembled into the engine. Periodically, the carbon seal in the assembly requires replacement and operators often must disassemble the whole bearing compartment to access the carbon seal assembly.
The alternative to disassembling the entire bearing compartment to reach the carbon seal assembly is to remove a bearing assembly inside the bearing compartment to remove the carrier holding the carbon seal. However, as the carrier is removed from the rest of the carbon seal assembly, the springs in the carbon seal assembly may fall out of place. After the carbon seal on the carrier has been replaced, the operator must ensure that all of the springs are placed back into position before the operator blindly positions the carrier back into place over the springs. Blindly placing the carrier into position is a very difficult task because the operator must take care that the springs do not fall out of place again.